{"690126":{"#nid":"690126","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Computing Grad Pursues Parallel Paths in Computer Science and Film ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor \u003Cstrong\u003EKathy Tran\u003C\/strong\u003E, choosing to major in computer science (CS) at Georgia Tech was never about narrowing her interests. Drawn to both computing and film, she sought flexibility to explore technical problem-solving alongside creative storytelling.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough her work as a teaching assistant (TA), a software engineering internship, and independent film projects, Tran learned that her interests didn\u2019t have to fit neatly into a single role. Instead, she built a path that lets both sides grow, sometimes together, sometimes separately.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat drew you to computer science and Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve always been the type of person who wants to do a million things, so it was difficult for me to decide on one subject to study in college. I was drawn to CS because it is extremely versatile, and I enjoyed Advanced Placement Computer Science A (AP CSA) at Woodland High School in Stockbridge. I could go the practical route and work at a big tech company, or I could take a more creative route and pursue game development or animation. Since computers are ubiquitous in all industries, the possibilities seem endless.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, another subject I really wanted to study in college is film, as it is my first love. I had to find a school that would give me a balance between an amazing CS education and a film education. I ended up choosing Georgia Tech because not only do we have a top-ranked CS program, but we\u2019re also in the heart of Atlanta, where there are countless film opportunities. This semester, I\u2019ll be graduating with a bachelor\u2019s in computer science with a minor in film and media studies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow has your experience as a teaching assistant shaped you?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have been a TA for CS 1332: Data Structures and Algorithms for seven semesters. At first, I just wanted to have an on-campus job and retain fundamental information about CS. However, over the semesters, I ended up really loving the TA community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeing surrounded by a highly motivated group of people forces you to try to be the best version of yourself. I\u2019ve met people who achieve great things. Seeing them achieve their goals makes it seem like mine aren\u2019t out of reach and only makes me work harder to achieve them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow have you approached your interests in tech and media?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen I first entered college, I assumed that I needed to perfectly combine the two fields, which led me to restrict myself to the role of a tech artist. I worked as a tech artist for clubs like \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/student-organizations\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVGDev and Animation Club\u003C\/a\u003E, creating 3D models and rigs that can be animated. I also did a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2023\/07\/14\/exploring-art-and-ai-georgia-techs-school-literature-media-and-communication-0\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EVIP in Art and AI,\u003C\/a\u003E where I created a stop-motion film using 3D models and generative AI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, I feel like I thrived when I allowed myself to explore these fields separately. On the technical side, I worked as a software engineering intern at AWS and enjoyed applying my technical design knowledge and problem-solving skills to complete my project. On the media side, I have directed two short films, with \u003Cem\u003EIn Universe 907\u003C\/em\u003E winning an award at Georgia Tech\u2019s Literature, Media, and Communications (LMC) Film Festival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile these two paths don\u2019t perfectly combine tech and media 50\/50, they require both technical and creative skills that satisfy my need to combine my passions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are your plans after graduation?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter graduation, I\u2019ll be working as a software engineer at Amazon Web Services and will be moving to Santa Clara, California.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWho has influenced your journey at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have to thank \u003Cstrong\u003EMary Hudachek-Buswell\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EFrederic Faulkner\u003C\/strong\u003E for allowing me to serve as their TA for the past three years and for giving me and the other TAs many opportunities to grow both academically and professionally.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat advice would you give to students interested in combining technical and creative fields?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo any student interested in combining technical and creative fields, keep your options open and don\u2019t pigeonhole yourself into one role or industry. Innovations in both fields are constantly being created, and new roles can emerge in the blink of an eye.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAllow yourself to explore all forms of technical and creative fields, and your calling will come about naturally.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor \u003Cstrong\u003EKathy Tran\u003C\/strong\u003E, choosing to major in computer science (CS) at Georgia Tech was never about narrowing her interests. Drawn to both computing and film, she sought flexibility to explore technical problem-solving alongside creative storytelling.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"For Kathy Tran, choosing to major in computer science (CS) at Georgia Tech was never about narrowing her interests. Drawn to both computing and film, she sought flexibility to explore technical problem-solving alongside creative storytelling. "}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2026-05-04 19:10:48","changed_gmt":"2026-05-05 18:15:25","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680162":{"id":"680162","type":"image","title":"kathy1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777921860","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","changed":"1777921860","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","alt":"Kathy","file":{"fid":"264404","name":"kathy1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":627670,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy1.jpg?itok=E8d12V1y"}},"680163":{"id":"680163","type":"image","title":"kathy2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777921860","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","changed":"1777921860","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","alt":"Kathy","file":{"fid":"264405","name":"kathy2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":63403,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy2.jpg?itok=80IP3qg5"}},"680164":{"id":"680164","type":"image","title":"kathy3.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777921860","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","changed":"1777921860","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","alt":"Kathy","file":{"fid":"264406","name":"kathy3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":867717,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy3.jpg?itok=L4AUVYgP"}},"680165":{"id":"680165","type":"image","title":"kathy4.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777921860","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","changed":"1777921860","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","alt":"Kathy","file":{"fid":"264407","name":"kathy4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":442403,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy4.jpg?itok=fVKQhF7L"}},"680166":{"id":"680166","type":"image","title":"kathy5.jpg","body":null,"created":"1777921860","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","changed":"1777921860","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 19:11:00","alt":"Kathy","file":{"fid":"264408","name":"kathy5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":40938,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/kathy5.jpg?itok=hF_sqyb5"}}},"media_ids":["680162","680163","680164","680165","680166"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}